Living and working in the Manchester, NH vs Boston, MA area (Cambridge: sales, real estate)

[MKEtoEUG]

We currently live just outside of Milwaukee, WI. I have two good job offers on the table (one in Manchester and the other Cambridge) and have made the "pro/con list" and have carefully researched each option for a move at the end of February.


Just trying to decide which would be most "livable" for my young family. We very obviously could not afford to live anywhere near Boston so this would mean a commute. Just thought I'd try to get opinions on here about schools, taxes, true cost of living, etc.

Thanks in advance!

[CaseyB]

If you are working in Manchester and living in NH you won't pay any state income taxes. No sales tax there, either.

There are lots of towns around the Manchester area with good schools like Bedford, Londonderry. I'd ask on the NH forum.

It really depends on what your budget is and how far you are willing to commute to Cambridge.

[Dm84]

Pretty much everyone here will tell you to take the job in Manchester. The only reason not to honestly is if the salary in Cambridge is significantly higher.

[Parsec]

We don't even know what the OP does or how much he makes. What if he's a non-tenured professor deciding between Harvard or SNHU? The answer if easy if he can afford a $1.5M house, but we don't have enough information.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by Parsec

We don't even know what the OP does or how much he makes. What if he's a non-tenured professor deciding between Harvard or SNHU?

Valid point however from a financial and mental health standpoint NH would probably be easier, especially since OP ruled out living close to Cambridge.

[mwbms28]

Don't mean to pry but what are the salaries for the two jobs, or at least how much more would you get paid for the job in Cambridge? If money is no object then I think almost everyone would rather live near Cambridge, but for most of us, money is an object.

[MKEtoEUG]

Thanks for the replies all! I use to live/work in Boston as a single person and loved it. Now married and with a baby, I hoped to relocate back to the Boston area/New England.
I have a great network of friends in MA which would be easy to plug back into. My concerns in MA are being financially stressed and the commute from N suburbs to Cambridge (I'm spoiled with a 15 min commute currently). Both job offers are good, but Cambridge is $7K more annually with potential for $10-12K annual bonus and other good benefits. I'm just not certain that money offsets costs such as rent (until we buy), real estate (in a town wit reputable schools), child care costs. Thanks!

[kingeorge]

Originally Posted by MKEtoEUG

Thanks for the replies all! I use to live/work in Boston as a single person and loved it. Now married and with a baby, I hoped to relocate back to the Boston area/New England.
I have a great network of friends in MA which would be easy to plug back into. My concerns in MA are being financially stressed and the commute from N suburbs to Cambridge (I'm spoiled with a 15 min commute currently). Both job offers are good, but Cambridge is $7K more annually with potential for $10-12K annual bonus and other good benefits. I'm just not certain that money offsets costs such as rent (until we buy), real estate (in a town wit reputable schools), child care costs. Thanks!

Cambridge area is booming and RE is getting very high. For all the perks and possible prestige, your quality of living might not be as high as it can around Manchester NH, Your dollar would definitely go further in NH.

Choose Cambridge only if it would seriously open more doors and opportunities, but with young baby keeping cost of life down, and commute shorter is also nothing to sneeze at.

You have lead issue to worry about, and finding decent place might push you into higher rent budget, or much longer commute. It is really up to you in the end.

Good luck.

[Nobodybody]

Originally Posted by MKEtoEUG

Thanks for the replies all! I use to live/work in Boston as a single person and loved it. Now married and with a baby, I hoped to relocate back to the Boston area/New England.
I have a great network of friends in MA which would be easy to plug back into. My concerns in MA are being financially stressed and the commute from N suburbs to Cambridge (I'm spoiled with a 15 min commute currently). Both job offers are good, but Cambridge is $7K more annually with potential for $10-12K annual bonus and other good benefits. I'm just not certain that money offsets costs such as rent (until we buy), real estate (in a town wit reputable schools), child care costs. Thanks!

This would be a major deciding factor if I were in your shoes. Off the cuff, I'd want at least $20k more to work in Cambridge and live in MA as opposed to living in New Hampshire to offset the difference in cost of living, and that is just off the cuff. On the premise of salary alone as you've presented, favor goes to Manchester. Your overall cost of living will be lower, and you will have more house for your money. You will also have an easier commute.

A second factor would be the difference in future opportunity. I'm not sure if you are deciding between locations with the same company, or between two companies, but could the Cambridge job likely open a greater network of connections for career advancement? Is the Cambridge company larger/more significant than the other, and would it open greater opportunity for internal promotion and salary growth? Those factors would make me lean towards living in MA.

Another factor is schools/culture and overall quality of life for kids and yourself. This is tough to answer because we don't know your actual budget, but, some towns in MA would likely have better school quality, and a Boston-area location could offer more opportunity outside of school that would enhance quality of life. That said, Manchester is fine - it has it's good and bad areas as I'm sure you know, and you are still close enough to drive to Boston when you like.

[MKEtoEUG]

This forum is fantastic! Thanks again.

Nobodybody/Kingeorgs:

I also was hoping for $20-24K more in salary a year to work in Cambridge to offset cost of living/commute headaches. I got that number after digging into different cost of living calculators but wasn't sure how accurate they were. The bonus potential almost got me to $20 but not quite.

Cost of living and not being so financially "stressed" is very important but schools, job opportunities, and culture also weigh heavily in the decision.

The Manchester job is more "exciting" and could lead to better job satisfaction in that I would be on the forefront of a new "wave of healthcare" but less defined/somewhat less stable. Cambridge is for a major company at which I would have lots of opportunity/great benefits but likely be a "cog in the wheel".

We would likely live on the Bedford/Manchester line initially until we found a place to plant roots in NH. In MA, it would likely be Reading area (so I don't actually know what that commute would be like but I imagine it to be rough). Though I could work from home 2 days a week.